How Exercise Works

If you are an athlete and you'll be competing in a place at a high altitude, as during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, then training at high altitudes would be helpful. If the competition is in a hot climate, then gradual periods of training in hot weather can allow the body to increase its efficiency in eliminating heat (increasing sweat production in the most-exposed areas of the body).

The body's reaction to exercise is a carefully orchestrated response of various systems (muscle, heart, blood vessels, lungs, nervous system and skin) designed to meet the needs of working muscles. These systems can be improved by training, thereby improving athletic performance.

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